Property Security in the Age of Criminality

California has been experiencing persistent and largely unabated criminality for some time. As we focus on the real estate implications here, one results is large retail stores closing prime locations due to thefts, relentless homelessness, and the unwillingness of government agencies to get these issues under control.

Another issue is fraud which may result in billions of dollars lost while still arguing for more social programs; this fraud results in increased taxes and operating costs. Locally, we see pop-up mobile security centers placed in nearly every parking lot. For the purpose of this article, we will look at some effects on industrial property owners, from the experiences we have had in representing them.
Over the last 20 years, we dealt with the occasional break-in, theft, homelessness, and squatters. The bottom line is that landlords and property owners need to take a more proactive approach to protecting their property. Since much of the justice system is no longer geared to discouraging criminality or to supporting property owners, deterrence becomes the key strategy for protecting property.

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One way to deter crime is the use of exterior lighting at night. Generally speaking, bright lighting deters people from focusing on this property, and looking elsewhere. Having a bright exterior lighting system that lights up both the exterior yard and any points of entry around the building will help keep trouble away.

For vacant buildings, having security personnel on weekends and evenings is advisable. This is especially true if the building is larger and if there is infrastructure in or on the property that can be taken and sold. Commodity prices fluctuate; often, increases in break-ins coincide with spikes in metal prices.

As mentioned above, mobile security camera units also provide a level of deterrence; we are seeing them installed regularly. These can be mounted in the yard, in the building, or even on the roof. The lights and cameras on these units, along with exterior lighting, provide a strong deterrent in most instances. These systems need to be monitored.

Security monitoring alarm services are almost mandatory on any vacant industrial property; they can be used in concert with the previously mentioned strategies. These systems usually tie into your fire monitoring system and can alert authorities quickly when a perimeter has been breached or a fire has started.

​While there are more ideas, overall, property security requires a comprehensive approach in today’s environment. Each property is unique and should be evaluated before a specific plan is put into place. Please give us a call today and we can further this discussion and introduce you to several security companies we’ve used successfully.